Max Lucado....need clarification

[jbwaaadeal]

Please give me anything you have on Max Lucado and his beliefs, his writings, and whether or not he is anti-Catholic. Thanks…God Love you all. Jay

 

[carol_marie]

Love Love Love Max Lucado. Have read so many of his books and find them so wonderfully uplifting. And the Angels were Silent is my favoirte. Is his writing anti Catholic? Not that I recall - but I was a Protestant when I read him so don’t take my word for it necessarily. I did give several of his books to my sis in law (Catholic) and she loved them. I think he’s Church Of Christ but not that wacky Boston group who are cult like. Just the plain old Christian type.

 

[Zooey]

I like Max Lucado too. I can’t remember anything that I’ve seen in his books that is anti Catholic, but as a Protestant, I don’t know 100% sure what you might out in that category…

I don’t know his denomination. He is definitely Christian though. It seems to me that he might be (or have been, before writing) a minister. He seems pretty solid to me…I can’t ever remember him being “anti” any Christian group, really…

 

[bengal_fan]

he is a church of christ pastor, very evangelical, somewhat reformed, somewhat fundamentalist. he is not anti-catholic (but since he is protestant he must have some disagreements with the church but i’m sure they are charitable). church of christ agrees with the catholic church on the regenerative power in baptism and they go so far as to say that you cannot be “saved” unless you are baptized. some, hardcore, church of christ people will say the pope is the antichrist and the church is the whore of babylon but not max.

 

[NWUArmyROTC]

I am Catholic and was when I read his “He Chose the Nails.” I found it a very powerful read. “Traveling Light” wasn’t too bad either, not as good as the former. As for Anti-Catholicism, I didn’t detect it. He has an Evangelical understanding of things, and thus disagrees, but I didn’t find it too problematic. “He Chose the Nails” focused on the redemptive purpose of Good Friday and various events of it, I enjoyed it. I don’t think I missed something in reading it either.

 

[Fitz]

When I read some of his works, I wasn’t thinking he was anti-Catholic. I like his books, but I am not a biblical scholar.

 

[boppysbud]

Max Lucado is a “church of Christ” preacher, he comes originally from a small town 35 miles to my north.

While Lucado is a coC preacher he comes from a relatively “liberal” sub-sect within the larger cofC sect. Many of the much more numerous ultra conservative condemn him as a liberal “denominationalist” (conservative cofC members do not consider thier denomination to be a denomination, just the one and only church that Christ has).

Lucado has removed the words “of Christ” from his church’s sign and name, and is widely condemned by fellow cofCer for doing so. His church also celebrates Christmas and Easter also verbotten in larger cofC circles, he even admits that there are Christians in churches other than the “church of Christ”.

But OTOH he still retains many of the fundamentalist habits of all csofC. His congregation still forbids the use of musical instruments, and still observes a symbolic only “Lords Supper” every Sunday. They still insist that only adult beleivers be baptised and by total immersion only.

I consider Lucado a mixed bag. Yes he is infinately better than the ultra conservatives in his denomination, he does not practice the overt anti-catholic prejudice of others, but he is still an Evangelical Fundamentalist.

 

[MariaG]

Max Lucado is not Anti-Catholic. He is Protestant though.

I personally love his inspirational study Bible. I think it is a shame however that the Lucado’s way with words does not get applied to the Real Presence.

He is someone a person can use for inspiration and evoke emotion. He is not really good for study. His “study” Bible is, in my opinion, heavy on inspiration and light on study.

God Bless,

Maria

 

[watergirl]

I also love Max- When God Whispers Your Name, Six Hours One Friday, the list goes on and on. I have noticed he does not believe in purgatory. But otherwise doesn’t seem to anti-catholic.

 

[4_marks]

bengal_fan:

he is a church of christ pastor, very evangelical, somewhat reformed, somewhat fundamentalist. he is not anti-catholic (but since he is protestant he must have some disagreements with the church but i’m sure they are charitable). church of christ agrees with the catholic church on the regenerative power in baptism and they go so far as to say that you cannot be “saved” unless you are baptized. some, hardcore, church of christ people will say the pope is the antichrist and the church is the whore of babylon but not max.

I regularly attended church at a “confessing” Church of Christ before returning to the Catholic faith. The confessing movement is very open. In COC circles they are known as the “liberals.” Communion is open to all who confess Christ. The pastor, who was never a Roman catholic, believed it was literally the body and blood of Christ because God’s word said that plainly (he didn’t take a metaphorical view). Water baptism by immersion, after one has been “discipled” and invoking the Trinity is seen as normative for salvation unlike most other Evangelicals. They saw themselves as a restoration movement and rejected denominationalism. Music was normally sung a cappella. They were very dedicated and sincere Christians and I continue to hold them in high esteem. Max Lucado is a good man who loves Jesus Christ. He does not lash out against Catholics as some non-Catholic Christians do.

I am grateful for these experiences for they have brought me to a deeper appreciation and love for the Catholic Christian faith which has been handed on to us by the Apostles. I only hope to use these experiences to encourage and inspire others to grow in the faith.

 

[RiverRock]

I heard he was anti-Catholic once, but have not confirmed that. He might be genuinely “christian”, and have no particular bent against the Catholic Church, but for me, I would not read anything from anybody outside of the Church. In fact, I read nothing from Protestant sources, regardless of how christian and pleasant they are. Remember the frog in the pot.

 

[boppysbud]

To be really frank and honest ALL church of Christers are anti Catholic by means of thier Apostacy/Restoration dichotomy. This teaching is basic to the cofC theology. They all beleive it.

This teaching posits that the original Church followed the Bible to the tee. They beleive that things like instrumental music and candles, vestments, written prayers and liturgy were forbidden in the original church because the Bible does not explicitly command their use. Anything not commanded is regarded as forebidden.

They believe that the church stopped following the Bible in this legalistic fashion and then ceased to exist, to be replaced by the “apostate” Catholic church. There was no church, no Christians for about 1700 years until Alexander and Thomas Campbell and Barton Stone “restored” the Church and Chrostianity back into existence. CofCers beleive that they are literally the one and only Church Christ has, they are the only Christians, everyone else is in one of “the denominations” except for them in "The One, True, “church of Christ”.

I know this is what they truly teach and beleive because I was raised in this denomination and was taught this all my life until I converted to the Catholic Church at the age of 18.

While Lucado may not teach this publically, this is the teaching of his very anti-Catholic denomination.

 

[catherinesiena]

I have read a few Max Lucado books, and I just find them to be a little fluffy and repetitive. But I didn’t find any anti-Catholic material.

 

[jtg]

I’ve only seen his children’s books and Just in case you ever wonder is my favorite. Nothing antiCatholic that I’ve seen.